Using dogs and cats in medical experiments must stop

It’s hard to believe, but invasive medical experiments are still performed on dogs and cats in this country in the name of research.

If you’re not convinced that the use of non-human animals for experimentation is unnecessary — and more importantly, ineffective — click this post: Animal Testing Is Ineffective.

And if you’re not convinced it’s egregious from an ethical standpoint, click this post: What We Did to Rodney. Unfortunately, Rodney’s story is not the worst of it. So if there’s still any question in your mind as to whether this practice is morally despicable, google “animals used in medical experiments.” That should remove all doubt.

The good news is that the National Institute of Health will soon prohibit any institution that receives federal funding from purchasing animals from “class B dealers” — that is, groups or individuals who sell animals acquired from shelters or by other low-cost means. And while that’s a step in the right direction, it’s not nearly enough. According to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine:

“The ban on using cats from class B dealers does not go into effect until October, and the use of dogs will not be phased out until 2015.”

Not only that, class B dealers will still be able to sell animals to private, non-government funded organizations.

You can help put an end now to this legalized form of torture. Ask your Congressperson to co-sponsor the Pet Safety and Protection Act and force class B dealers out of business. Click here to make a difference.